Chapter 1: Catching a Big Fish

Chapter 1: Finding a Large Fish

A jagged cluster of scattered reefs jutted out from the endless expanse of the sea—this was the tranquil spot Deng Xi had recently discovered.

These reefs had no sharp edges to scratch him, and there were no large fish nearby, only gentle little ones.

Here, Deng Xi was safe.

Deng Xi lay sprawled on a reef, his sopping golden hair cascading smoothly over his porcelain-white back. His tail, a soft blue reminiscent of the sky, faded into a deeper shade toward the tip, blending seamlessly with the dark blue ocean.

His tail flicked lazily against the water as, eyes crinkling, he whispered, "Yesterday, I saw a bunch of pretty little stones on the seabed. I’ll take you to see them later, okay?"

No one answered him—he was talking to a small fish that had swum up to his hand. The little fish seemed to like Deng Xi, lingering by his side for ages.

Deng Xi continued talking to himself, "After we see the stones, I’ll turn you into tonight’s dinner."

Fish: "..."

It didn’t understand, just blowing bubbles.

Deng Xi rolled over into the water and blew bubbles too.

The planet had no landmass, only the sea, and in this vast ocean, he was the only merman. He was delicate, no match for other large fish, so he could only catch these small fish to eat.

But even then, the frail merman couldn’t outswim the little fish. Deng Xi often went hungry, scraping by on scraps of seaweed. Getting to eat meat was already a feast!

The little fish swam above Deng Xi, affectionately nudging his nose, its wagging tail popping the bubbles he had just blown.

Deng Xi, whose only amusement was bubble-blowing: "?"

Puffing his cheeks, he grumbled, "I’ll eat you later."

Fish: "..."

It rubbed against Deng Xi’s cheek.

The bristling little merman turned his face away awkwardly, then rubbed his belly.

Starving.

The gentle little fish in this area were few and far between, and they didn’t stay long. Deng Xi could only snatch a few to fill his belly before watching helplessly as they swam away.

The one currently nuzzling him was a particularly dopey little fish, separated from its school and clinging to Deng Xi stubbornly.

Clearly unaware of Deng Xi’s intentions, it blew a bubble, which popped against his nose.

Annoyed, Deng Xi waved his hand to shoo it away, muttering with a stern face, "Before I regret sparing you..."

The little fish was pushed aside but swam right back.

Deng Xi: "..."

His stomach gurgled loudly again.

Fine. If it wouldn’t leave, it would be his emergency rations.

"Don’t think I won’t eat you..." Before Deng Xi could finish, a sudden, ear-splitting *boom* echoed from the distance.

Startled, Deng Xi surfaced in a daze and looked toward the sound. He guessed it might be a large fish leaping out of the water, but he hoped he was wrong—those large fish had huge mouths and sharp teeth, capable of gobbling three Deng Xis whole!

He really was no match for them. Usually, he bolted the moment he spotted them from afar.

But finding a new home was exhausting, and Deng Xi couldn’t bear to leave the reef he had just discovered.

Peering out, he saw nothing but churning waves.

Deng Xi sighed in relief—wait! His dinner!

He immediately dove back underwater, flicking his tail fin as he looked around. The dopey fish was sly after all, fleeing while Deng Xi was still stunned.

Now, all Deng Xi could see was the tiny silhouette of the fish darting away in the distance.

Deng Xi: "?"

Regret washed over him, and he instantly gave chase.

The frightened little fish swam more than twice as fast as usual. No matter how hard Deng Xi flapped his tail, panting and exhausted, he couldn’t catch up. Compared to other sea creatures, the frail merman was at the very bottom of the food chain.

In the vast, empty ocean, the gloomy, blue-tailed merman looked around, his gills flaring in irritation as he breathed underwater.

Deng Xi rubbed his eyes, red-rimmed.

That was his last shot at dinner.

He hadn’t eaten all day, his stomach growling incessantly.

Sure, he had been reluctant to eat the little fish earlier, but there was a difference between skipping meals by choice and having no choice.

Deng Xi sniffled, *If only there were other mermaids in the sea... If only I had a companion to help me catch fish...*

After calming down a little, he turned angrily and swam back. He was going to find out what had scared off his dinner! Didn’t it know what a struggle it was for a frail merman to catch a single fish?!

Deng Xi would make *it* his new dinner.

The source of the noise was near a larger cluster of reefs. To avoid running into any large fish if his guess was wrong, Deng Xi swam cautiously, sneaking behind a reef to spy.

The sea lay still.

Deng Xi dove deeper, but the further he went, the more a creeping sense of dread crept over him, as if something terrifying lurked in the depths.

Warily, he scanned his surroundings.

The light grew dimmer with the increasing water pressure, the underwater reefs looming like inkblots. Deep green seaweed swayed gently with the current.

At a glance, the seabed was a void of lurking shadows—who knew what dangerous creatures might be hiding beneath them?

Deng Xi began to regret coming here. He’d already starved for so long—a bit longer wouldn’t kill him.

Never mind.

Just a measly fish.

He tried to console himself.

With a flick of his tail fin, he swiftly swam back toward the surface.

Unbeknownst to him, seconds after he left, a shadow shifted. Slowly, it rose, following the same path Deng Xi had taken, its tail silently carving a thin wake.

The water tasted wrong. Blood? But he wasn’t bleeding.

Deng Xi wrinkled his nose and swam even faster, but the fishy smell lingered stubbornly around him.

After breaking through the water's surface, Deng Xi immediately swam behind a large reef, his eyes fixed warily on the spot where he had just emerged.

Who was following him?

The sunlight had dimmed, obscured by clouds, and the sea no longer shimmered. The sky and ocean had turned a leaden gray, and Deng Xi held his breath.

It was a silver-tailed merman.

Pale arms clutched desperately to the reef, veins bulging, fingers blanched from strain as they dragged the rest of his body out of the water, slowly pulling himself up.

Pale golden curls clung wetly to his scarred back, his skin pale as death, blue veins visible beneath the thin layer of muscle, rising and falling with each shallow breath.

His other hand braced against the reef, hauling the rest of his body up, revealing his lower half—a tail nearly two meters long, its silver-white fins spread like wings, glistening faintly in the water.

Yet at first glance, all that could be seen was a ghostly pale color, wounds so soaked they had turned white.

But without the seawater washing over them, the countless injuries began to bleed anew, bright red against his pale skin.

Beads of blood mixed with salty seawater trickled down his taut muscles, leaving crimson streaks in their wake, transforming his pallor into something strikingly vivid.

Deng Xi was stunned.

Was… was this one of his kind?

He had lived alone in the ocean for years, long accepted the idea that he was the only intelligent creature, the only merman in these waters.

Was this truly his kin?

Deng Xi couldn’t believe it.

The other’s tail was so much longer than his, and silver too. Deng Xi glanced down at his own blue tail, then back at the silver-tailed one, his gaze full of envy.

If he had a tail that long, he could swim faster—maybe even catch that small fish earlier!

He looked hurt. Had some big fish attacked him? How pathetic.

Deng Xi clung to the reef, stealing glances.

Had that loud noise earlier been caused by the silver-tailed one? Had he been the one following Deng Xi underwater? Deng Xi considered it, then dismissed the thought.

No, the silver-tailed one hadn’t noticed him. He probably hadn’t been following at all—just coincidentally surfacing after Deng Xi had left.

The silver-tailed one lowered his head, then seemed to sense something. He lifted himself slightly, shoulder blades curving in a powerful arc, turning his face toward the reef where Deng Xi hid.

His expression was obscured by the shadows of his hair, revealing only a pair of silver, vertical-pupiled eyes—cold, emotionless, yet not calm. The whites were streaked with red.

The moment their eyes met, Deng Xi froze, goosebumps rising on his skin. It felt like being locked in the gaze of a starving predator, one that might lunge at any second to tear out his throat.

Deng Xi didn’t dare move until the silver-tailed one, finding nothing amiss, turned away again.

Instantly, Deng Xi ducked back behind the reef, clamping a hand over his mouth, breathing shallowly in fear.

So terrifying.

Now he didn’t feel pity for the silver-tailed one at all—just dread. Though he’d always wished for another merman to talk to, he wasn’t happy about this.

His instincts screamed at him, warning that the silver-tailed one was far more terrifying than any big fish!

Curiosity really would kill a fish.

Still, the silver-tailed one’s injuries looked severe—probably too severe to pose a threat. Deng Xi’s curiosity won out, and he stared unblinkingly, half his face still pressed against the reef, leaving a red mark.

Even from a distance, he could see the wounds covering the silver-tailed one’s body—bruises so deep they were nearly black, countless gashes from sharp objects, even injuries marring his silver tail.

The blood seeping from him was turning the surrounding water a bloody red.

And then Deng Xi noticed the stiffness of his tail.

From the moment he’d surfaced, the silver-tailed one’s tail hadn’t moved at all, just hanging limply. No flick of the fins, no reflexive twitch—nothing.

Was his tail injured too?

Merfolk were naturally drawn to shiny things, and Deng Xi adored the silver-tailed one’s glittering tail.

What a pity.

Deng Xi watched him with reluctant longing.

The silver-tailed one was struggling to pull himself fully onto the reef, relying solely on his arms, his wounds tearing wider, blood flowing freely.

Deng Xi winced in sympathy, but the silver-tailed one endured silently, never crying out in pain.

Once on the reef, he collapsed, motionless, his breathing faint.

Deng Xi watched as those fierce, beast-like eyes finally closed.

Had he blacked out?

Deng Xi’s face twisted in distress. His kin was pitiful, badly injured, perhaps even near death's door.

But…

He rubbed his rumbling stomach.

Even if he did accept this merman as his kin, Deng Xi could barely feed himself—how could he take care of a silver-tailed one too?

They’d probably go hungry together.

Silently, Deng Xi turned to leave.

Sorry.

But moments later, he swam back.

He approached the unconscious silver-tailed one, unable to look away from that shimmering tail.

In a whisper, Deng Xi said, "Let me touch it—just once! Then I’ll save you."

He prodded the silver fin with a fingertip.

Then, his pinkish fingertips carefully avoided the wounds, gently caressing the silver scales instead.

Over and over.

Too lost in stroking the tail, Deng Xi didn’t notice the faint twitch of the silver-tailed one’s eyelids.

A merman’s tail was a natural weapon—but also the most sensitive part of their body, like a dragon's reverse scale. Had the silver-tailed one not been injured, Deng Xi would have already died to an instinctive counterattack.

In his unconscious state, Si Jisheng felt an undeniable tingling in his tail, like faint electric pulses, jolting his ebbing consciousness back from the abyss.

His fingers twitched slightly, and in the haze, he faintly heard two words:

"So well-behaved."